Organ transplants could be in illegal immigrants' future

UIC, Loyola agree to evaluate 2 men

June 25, 2012|By Jeff Danna, Chicago Tribune reporter

Lorenzo Arroyo, left, and his brother Elfego have primary amyloidosis, a liver disease passed from parent to child. Both men are living in the U.S. without legal permission and are in need of liver transplants. The University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center agreed to evaluate Lorenzo, and Elfego is on the waiting list at Rush University Medical Center. (Antonio Perez, Chicago Tribune)

Two illegal immigrants initially denied potentially lifesaving organ transplants could eventually receive the procedures at two area hospitals, according to a source close to the men.

The University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center last week agreed to begin evaluating Lorenzo Arroyo, 36, for a liver transplant, while Loyola University Medical Center agreed to evaluate Jorge Mariscal, 23, for a kidney transplant, said the Rev. Jose Landaverde of Our Lady of Guadalupe Anglican Catholic Mission in Little Village.

The two men have been previously treated for their conditions at those respective institutions. In a statement, UIC confirmed a transplant evaluation for an illegal immigrant after a meeting between Landaverde and Dr. Joe G.N. "Skip" Garcia, vice president for health affairs, and did not name the patient.

Similarly, Loyola issued a statement outlining its organ transplant evaluation process. The statement notes an evaluation does not necessarily lead to a transplant, but it is an important step. Spokesman Jim Ritter said Loyola representatives conveyed this process to Landaverde.

Members of the Our Lady of Guadalupe community recently went on a hunger strike to protest hospitals denying transplants to people living in the country without legal permission. They also have been raising money for Arroyo's and Mariscal's treatments.

"With this hunger strike and protest, we were able to get" the hospitals to evaluate the men, Landaverde said.

Arroyo has primary amyloidosis, a liver disease passed from parent to child. His brother, Francisco, also was diagnosed with the disease, and he received a liver transplant because of his legal status. His other brother, Elfego, is living in the U.S. illegally and has the disease too. Rush University Medical Center agreed to place Elfego on the waiting list for a transplant.

Dr. David Ansell, senior vice president for clinical affairs and chief medical officer at Rush who is familiar with Mariscal's case, said in an earlier interview that Mariscal came to the U.S. as a 1-year-old and experienced renal failure at 16. Since then, he has been on dialysis, but a kidney transplant could improve his condition, Ansell said.

"We are going to continue to fight together for those who need transplants and are discriminated for not having documents," Lorenzo Arroyo said in a news release.

Money raised for the two men through Our Lady of Guadalupe would be used toward post-transplant medication, Landaverde said. Medications for organ transplant recipients can run about $10,000 a year for life, Ansell said.